Passing the torch to the next IRWA president
Jun 11, 2012
Over the past year, I’ve served as president of the International Right of Way Association (IRWA) in addition to my duties as managing director of IRR’s Austin office. The IRWA is a not-for-profit association that aims to advance the right of way profession through professional development, strong ethics, and improved service to employers and the public. Its educational programs and professional services aim to ensure appraisers have enough information at their disposal to fairly value properties in eminent domain cases.
IRWA has a storied history, stretching back all the way to 1934, and I’m proud to have added a few accomplishments in my tenure. Positive changes are afoot, both in our membership and our reach. As I prepare to pass the torch to our next president, I’d like to take a look back at the four biggest milestones we were able to reach.
1. IRWA created continuing education programs on ethics and leadership. A large portion of our membership is planning to retire in the next decade, and the organization is facing a potential brain drain. We need ways to transfer older members’ knowledge to younger members. To this end, we implemented online classes and formal leadership training. IRWA currently offers over a dozen courses online, including classes that enable members to earn credit for IRWA certifications and designations. We’ve also started to build a video library on IRWA’s YouTube channel, and some of our initial videos provide lessons on how to motivate employees and how to run an efficient meeting.
2. We opened IRWA’s first chapter outside North America. We expanded beyond North America in late 2011, opening IRWA’s first office in South Africa. This sets the stage to open up more chapters across Africa. Uganda, for instance, is a country hot on our radar because it has vast oil reserves but lacks the infrastructure to capitalize on them. Both South Africa and Uganda have massive infrastructure needs, and we can help them by providing IRWA credentials, designations, and education to advance their careers. A number of Chinese appraisers have also joined IRWA over the past year. As a growing nation, China’s infrastructure needs are increasing, and the country has recently begun accelerating approvals for building roads, bridges, and real estate. All of these new members will be able to stay current with the latest right of way trends, gain access to our educational courses to become certified, and join a global community that can support their countries’ expanding infrastructures.
3. We took IRWA’s educational programs on the road. I taught courses in Beijing and in South Africa — our first time in these countries. In China, I taught a four-day appraisal course as well as a course on ethics and the right of way profession. The ethics course was interesting, as I wondered how such a course would work cross-culturally. I found that what is unethical here is just as unethical there. You treat people with respect, you don’t cheat people, you do a proper job — these principles span any cultural differences. The students we had were all appraisers and were the best of the best. There were a number of MAIs in the course, whom I taught in translation. I thought this might slow up the process, but the students were highly adept at solving the problems I gave them. We were moving through the course more quickly than I had anticipated, so I was able to teach extra content. I also taught a course in South Africa, which was much easier thanks to our common language and similar laws. By the time my presidency is finished, I’ll have made at least 23 overnight trips, and I’ll likely be back in the air in August to return to China and teach the same courses to a much larger class.
4. IRWA joined FIABCI. We became a principal member of FIABCI, the Fédération Internationale des Administrateurs de Biens et Conseils Immobiliers. In English, that translates to the International Real Estate Federation. FIABCI aims to help its members add an international dimension to their businesses by helping them acquire knowledge, develop networks, and optimize business opportunities all over the world. Our membership enables us to gain exposure for our courses and credentialing among FIABCI’s professionals worldwide. I now also serve as president of FIABCI education and credentialing, where I help advance the organization’s FIREC designation and FIABCI University.
I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in advancing the organization. There is always more work to be done. Our nations’ infrastructure needs will continue to evolve, requiring the expertise of right of way professionals. As IRWA becomes a more global organization, we’ll be guided by our organization’s mission to grow and advance our principles of ethical right of way processes and develop new global leaders who hold themselves to the highest standards.
Author: Randy Williams
